Roller Supported Pedal Arm Elliptical

ABSTRACT

A base assembly supports the elliptical walking exercise machine on a floor. A base upper pivot connects a right handle and a left handle to the base assembly. The base upper pivot provides a pendulum like motion for the right handle and left handle. The right handle and left handle are above the base upper pivot. A right third link connected below the right handle and a left third link are connected below the left handle. The right third link and the left third link are substantially upright and are provided a pendulum like motion about the base upper pivot. The right third link having a right bottom end and the left third link having a left bottom end. A right second pivot is connected at the right bottom end and a left second pivot is connected a left bottom end.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/203,898 filed Dec. 29, 2008 by same inventor Yong Chu entitled Elliptical Walking Exercise Machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to fitness exercise machines for training upper body and lower body exercises simulating walking motion with handles and pedals having resistance.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

Many elliptical motion walking exercise machines have been introduced in the market. Some are simple and some are more complicated in their mechanism to simulate the walking motion of a person. Proper stride simulation is possible in both simple and complicated mechanisms, but often simple mechanisms require a large structure and smaller machines require many linkages to achieve the same movement. A couple of early concepts are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,622 to Swenson (1980) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,526 to Rogers, Jr. (1996) in which a crank is placed behind the pedals or a user, therefore they require a structural support in front of and behind the user, making the machines less accessible to the user and large in size when a proper stride of the pedals is set. U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,756 to Miller (1997) shows another elliptical machine that has a crank arm in the front. The overall size of the machine may be reduced with the same stride length of the pedals compared to the above disclosures but the linkage in Miller's is more complicated. U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,227 to Lee (1998) shows a stepper with an elliptical stride utilizing a crank in the front. This is a relatively simple mechanism but in order to create a proper walking stride, the overall structure must be large compared to Miller (1997). The same mechanism in more proper walking stride is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,153,239 to Stearns (2006). Again the size of the overall structure must be large in Stearns (2006) in order to have a proper walking stride of the pedals. U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,020 to Stearns (2004) shows an apparatus relatively small in overall size but displays two cranks with a pair of linkage mechanism to create the proper stride. There are many more prior arts that have been disclosed and introduced in the market. Each one of them has advantages and disadvantages compared to others.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.

The present invention is an exercise machine to be used mainly for walking and jogging type exercises with pedals and moving handles that provide different levels of resistance for the user's preference in a compact apparatus. The pedal motion is a combination of a motion of a crank arm, a motion of an arc, and a substantially linear motion of a predefined path to produce an elliptical path with its horizontal direction of the motion profile substantially being a major diameter. An embodiment includes a base assembly that stands on a floor and has a right and left handles pivotally attached to the base assembly that also pivotally supports a crank assembly with a right crank arm and a left crank arm at a base crank pivot. The right crank arm is pivotally engaged with a right pedal arm that provides a motion surface for a right pedal, and the left crank arm is also pivotally engaged with a left pedal arm that provides a motion surface for a left pedal. A right link is pivotally engaged with the right pedal arm and a right handle arm to provide a swing motion to the right handle arm. A left link is pivotally engaged with the left pedal arm and a left handle arm to provide a swing motion to the left handle arm. Both pedals are linked with the respective handle arms at the lower end of each handle arm and slide on the surface of the respective pedal arms.

The advantage of this mechanical arrangement is that the pedals' vertical displacement in a cycle of the motion is determined by the size of the left and right crank arms. And the pedals' horizontal displacement can be set independently by ratio of the distance between each handle arm's pivot point and the pivotal engagement point of each link on the respective arm to the distance between each handle arm's pivot point and each pedal's pivotal link point on the respective handle arm. This main advantage of this apparatus helps the apparatus have a relatively smaller footprint compared to those of other elliptical walking machines available in the field and yet provides an ergonomically good motion with a full stride for the user. Also the arrangement of the links is simple and easy to manufacture.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus having advantages not taught by the prior art.

Another objective is to provide such an apparatus that is compact in size and footprint.

Another objective is to provide such an apparatus that offers the user a full stride with an ergonomically good motion of walking while having the compact size of the apparatus.

Another objective is to provide such an apparatus for the user to get on the pedals with an easy access by opening up the rear end by placing the crank arms on the fore side.

A further objective is to provide such an apparatus to make its manufacturing easy and simple employing simple parts and connections between the parts.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment having a better view of the left side of the apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment having a better view of the right side of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment showing the left side with the crank parts exposed.

The following, list of elements may be useful in referencing the elements of the drawings.

10 Elliptical Walking Exercise Machine

14 Crank Assembly

20 Base Frame Assembly

22 Base Frame

24 Handle Pivot

26 Crank Pivot

28 Left Crank Arm

34 Left Crank End Pivot

36 Belt Pulley

38 Belt

40 Force Unit

42 Left Link

44 Left Pedal Arm

46 Left Pedal

48 Left Pedal Link Pivot

54 Left Handle Arm

56 Left Handle

58 Left Handle Link Pivot

60 Left Handle Roller Pivot

62 Left Pedal Support

64 Left Pedal Roller Pivot

100 Roller

102 Second Roller

104 Third Roller

106 Fourth Roller

128 Right Crank Arm

134 Right Crank End Pivot

142 Right Link

144 Right Pedal Arm

146 Right Pedal

148 Right Pedal Link Pivot

154 Right Handle Arm

156 Right Handle

158 Right Handle Link Pivot

160 Right Handle Roller Pivot

162 Right Pedal Support

164 Right Pedal Roller Pivot

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The above described drawings FIGS. 1-3 illustrate the invention, an elliptical walking exercise machine, an apparatus 10 comprising: a base assembly 20 standing on a floor and comprising a base frame 22 which fixedly supports a handle pivot 24 and a crank pivot 26 located below and at a set distance away from handle pivot 24. An embodiment in FIGS. 1 through 3 further comprises a left crank arm 28, a right crank arm 128, and a main pulley 36 pivotally engaged to base frame 22 at crank pivot 26. Left crank arm 28 and right crank arm 128 each having a mechanical engagement point, for respective links, a left pedal arm 44 and a right pedal arm 144. A first end of left pedal arm 44 is pivotally attached at a left crank end pivot 34, and a first end of right pedal arm 144 is pivotally attached at a right crank end pivot 134. A left handle arm 54 is pivotally attached at handle pivot 24 of base assembly 20 and has a left handle 56, a portion a user may put one of her or his hands, fixedly attached above its pivot point engaged at pivot 24. A right handle arm 154 is pivotally attached at handle pivot 24 of base assembly 20 and has a right handle 156, a portion a user may put one of her or his hands, fixedly attached above its pivot point engaged at pivot 24. At the lower end of left handle arm 54, a roller 100 is mounted to engage with and hold up the middle portion of left pedal arm 44 such that roller 100 rolls on the surface of left pedal arm 44. At the lower end of right handle arm 154, a second roller 102 is mounted to engage with and hold up the middle portion of right pedal arm 144 such that second roller 102 rolls on the surface of right pedal arm 144. A first end of left pedal support 62 is pivotally engaged to the lower end of left handle arm 54. FIG. 1 shows left pedal support 62 mounted on the same mounting point as for roller 100, but the two attachment points may not coincide. On a second end of left pedal support 62 is a third roller 104 mounted on left pedal support 62 and rolling on the surface of left pedal arm 44. Left pedal 46 is mounted on a top surface of left pedal support 62 to receive and support the user's foot. On the other side, similarly a first end of right pedal support 162 is pivotally engaged to the lower end of right handle arm 154. FIG. 2 shows right pedal support 162 mounted on the same mounting point as for second roller 102, but the two attachment points may not coincide. On a second end of right pedal support 162 is a fourth roller 106, as shown in FIG. 1, mounted on right pedal support 162 and rolling on the surface of right pedal arm 144. Right pedal 146 is mounted on a top surface of right pedal support 162 to receive and support the user's foot. A first end of a left link 42 is pivotally attached at left pedal link pivot 48 that is located on left pedal arm 44 and near and a set distance away from left crank end pivot 34, or the first end of link 42 could be mounted right on left crank end pivot 34. A second end of left link 42 is pivotally connected to a left handle link pivot 58 on left handle arm 54 below handle pivot 24. A first end of a right link 142 is pivotally attached at right pedal link pivot 148 that is located on right pedal arm 144 and near and a set distance away from right crank end pivot 134, or the first end of link 142 could be mounted right on right crank end pivot 134. A second end of right link 142 is pivotally connected to a right handle link pivot 158 on right handle arm 154 below handle pivot 24.

In a typical setting, main pulley 36 is fixed to and between left crank arm 28 and right crank arm 128 in a crank assembly 14. A belt 38 that can be any flexible and looped line to transfer power from one wheel to another is placed between main pulley 36 and a force unit 40. A typical force unit is a flywheel with a brake system built in. The brake system may be a physical friction or an eddy current to slow down the turning speed of the flywheel.

In order to operate the apparatus, the user may get on and stand on pedals 46, 146 and hold handles 56, 156. He or she may push the pedals or push and pull the handles to start the motion of the apparatus. Either effort of the user urges motions of both left and right handle arms 54, 154 which in turn moves links 42, 142 transferring the force to both crank arms 28, 128 and to both pedal arms 44, 144. As left handle arm 54 moves in a pendulum-like motion about handle pivot 24, left pedal 46 on left pedal support 62 follows the motion of the lower end of left handle arms 54 while the lower end of left handle arm 54 engaged to left pedal arm 44 by roller 100. As right handle arm 154 moves in a pendulum-like motion about handle pivot 24, right pedal 146 on right pedal support 162 follows the motion of the lower end of right handle arms 154 while the lower end of right handle arm 154 engaged to right pedal arm 144 by second roller 102. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, links 42, 142 are pivotally connected on handle arms 54, 154 below handle pivot 24 and above the connection between the lower part of the handle arms and pedal supports 62, 162. This creates a greater horizontal movement at the lower end of each handle arm than that of the crank arms at left and right crank end points 34, 134. The greater horizontal movement at the lower end of the handle arms translates to the equivalent motion displacement of the left and right pedals in their stride length. So when a preferred stride length is about 20″, the crank arm size may be well under 20″ to create the preferred stride length with a right placement of pivots 58, 158 along handle arms 54, 154. This helps to reduce the size of the crank arms that in turn helps reduce the footprint of the entire machine. Also the vertical displacement of the pedals can be set by the size of the crank arms. A longer crank arm generates more vertical displacement of the pedal motion.

Although the invention has been disclosed in detail with reference only to the embodiments described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various other embodiments can be provided without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is defined only by the claims set forth below. 

1. An elliptical walking exercise machine comprising: a. a base assembly for supporting the elliptical walking exercise machine on a floor; b. a base upper pivot connecting a right handle and a left handle to the base assembly, wherein the base upper pivot provides a pendulum like motion for the right handle and left handle, wherein the right handle and left handle are above the base upper pivot; c. a right third link connected below the right handle and a left third link connected below the left handle, wherein the right third link and the left third link are substantially upright and are provided a pendulum like motion about the base upper pivot, the right third link having a right bottom end and the left third link having a left bottom end; d. a right second pivot connected at the right bottom end and a left second pivot connected a left bottom end; e. a right second link connected to the right second pivot, and a left second link connected to the left second pivot, wherein the right second link and the left second link are somewhat horizontally oriented and also received a pendulum like motion relative to the base; f. a left pedal connected to the left second link and a right pedal the right second link; g. a main wheel receiving force from user movement of the left third link, the right third link, the left second link and the right second link; h. a base crank pivot for mounting the main wheel, wherein the main wheel rotates about the base crank pivot; i. a right crank arm fixed to the main wheel, and a left crank arm fixed to the main wheel, wherein the right crank arm and the left crank arm are fixed to have the same angular position as the main wheel, wherein the right crank arm and the left crank arm are mounted at an offset of each other of approximately 180°; j. a right first link connected to the right crank arm at a right crank pivot and a left first link connected to the left crank arm at a left crank pivot; k. a force unit providing resistance to the main wheel; l. an elliptical movement mechanism comprising: i. a right first link connected to the right first pedal, and a left first link connected to a left first pedal, wherein the right first pedal is mounted to slide along a length of the right second link, and wherein the left first pedal is mounted to slide along a length of the left second link; ii. a right crank step connected to a forward end of the right second link, and a left crank step connected to a forward end of the left second link, wherein the right crank step is located between the base crank pivot and the right crank pivot; iii. wherein a rear end of the right second link and a rear end of the left second link have substantially circular motion while the left first pedal and the right first pedal have substantially elliptical motion.
 2. The elliptical walking exercise machine of claim 1, further comprising: a belt connected between the force unit and the main wheel for transmitting force between the force unit and the main wheel, wherein the surface of the main wheel forms a pulley for engaging with the belt.
 3. The elliptical walking exercise machine of claim 1, further comprising: a chain connected between the force unit and the main wheel for transmitting force between the force unit and the main wheel, wherein the surface of the main wheel forms a pulley for engaging with the chain.
 4. An elliptical walking exercise machine comprising: a. a base assembly for supporting the elliptical walking exercise machine on a floor; b. a base upper pivot connecting a right handle and a left handle to the base assembly, wherein the base upper pivot provides a pendulum like motion for the right handle and left handle, wherein the right handle and left handle are above the base upper pivot; c. a right third link connected below the right handle and a left third link connected below the left handle, wherein the right third link and the left third link are substantially upright and are provided a pendulum like motion about the base upper pivot, the right third link having a right bottom end and the left third link having a left bottom end; d. a right second pivot connected at the right bottom end and a left second pivot connected a left bottom end; e. a right second link connected to the right second pivot, and a left second link connected to the left second pivot, wherein the right second link and the left second link are somewhat horizontally oriented and also received a pendulum like motion relative to the base; f. a left pedal connected to the left second link and a right pedal the right second link; g. a main wheel receiving force from user movement of the left third link, the right third link, the left second link and the right second link; h. a base crank pivot for mounting the main wheel, wherein the main wheel rotates about the base crank pivot; i. a right crank arm fixed to the main wheel, and a left crank arm fixed to the main wheel, wherein the right crank arm and the left crank arm are fixed to have the same angular position as the main wheel, wherein the right crank arm and the left crank arm are mounted at an offset of each other of approximately 180°; j. a right first link connected to the right crank arm at a right crank pivot and a left first link connected to the left crank arm at a left crank pivot; k. a force unit providing resistance to the main wheel; l. an elliptical movement mechanism comprising: i. a right first link connected to the right first pivot, and a left first link connected to the left first pivot, wherein the right first pivot is located on the right second link behind the right second pivot and wherein the left first pivot is located on the left second link behind the left second pivot, a forward end of the right first link connecting to the right crank pivot, and a forward end of the left first link; wherein the right first pedal is mounted not to slide along a length of the right second link, and wherein the left first pedal is mounted not to slide along a length of the left second link; ii. a left roller mounted on a left crank step and a right roller mounted on a right crank step, wherein the right second link has a right contact surface and the left second link as a left contact surface, wherein the right contact surface is adapted to engage the right roller, and wherein the left contact surface is adapted to engage the left roller; iii. wherein a rear end of the right second link and a rear end of the left second link have substantially elliptical motion while the left first pedal and the right first pedal have substantially elliptical motion.
 5. The elliptical walking exercise machine of claim 4, further comprising: a belt connected between the force unit and the main wheel for transmitting force between the force unit and the main wheel, wherein the surface of the main wheel forms a pulley for engaging with the belt.
 6. The elliptical walking exercise machine of claim 4, further comprising: a chain connected between the force unit and the main wheel for transmitting force between the force unit and the main wheel, wherein the surface of the main wheel forms a pulley for engaging with the chain. 